The New Orleans Saints were on the wrong end of a couple of close calls during a disappointing Week 3 defeat to the Las Vegas Raiders .
One of those calls now comes with a fine, too — something that most Saints fans wouldn't have seen coming given the nature of the play.
But the NFL usually comes out with its fines from the prior Sunday in the middle of the next week, and that's what has happened here.
The Saints' Danny Stutsman has been fined $7,011 for his roughing the passer penalty against Kirk Cousins on Sunday, according to Saints beat reporter Nick Underhill:
It's not a particularly huge amount. Fines are based on a factor of the given player's contract, and since Stutsman is a relatively low earner, he gets a relatively low fine.
Still, it was a shock to many that this was a fine at all.
"That's wild!!" wrote on reply on X. "It was a textbook tackle!"
Another wrote: "Might as well just play flag football at this point."
The Saints certainly weren't happy about the call in the moment, and this fine just adds insult to injury.
This is the play that earned Stutsman the fine:
Cousins had gotten rid of the football, and the reason Stutsman was flagged was that he drove Cousins into the ground.
Rather than attempt to brace his own landing, Stutsman drives his helmet into Cousins' chest and makes sure they hit the ground firmly.
Of course, it's easy to say in slow motion. It would've been very difficult for Stutsman to do anything differently in the moment.
That's just the nature of the call at this point. The officials seem to have gotten this one right by how the book is written now — it's just a frustrating reality for defenders, and the fine doesn't help matters.
It came in a big spot, too. The Raiders faced a third-and-4 from the Saints' 5-yard line when this pass fell incomplete. The flag prolonged the drive, and Cousins then hit Michael Mayer for a 3-yard touchdown.
In a game the Raiders won by eight points, it was at least somewhat consequential to have this happen.
The broadcast showed Saints coach Kellen Moore arguing after the play, but that was for naught. Arguments don't usually get flags overturned, and apparently that didn't help keep a fine away from Stutsman, either.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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